PRINCE William and Kate dished up a real treat on their Canada tour at the weekend, with the new Duchess of Cambridge showing she’s a dab hand in the kitchen.

Kate is known to be a good cook but, until now, her husband’s only culinary boast has been that he makes a mean shepherd’s pie.

After 40 minutes in a top Montreal cookery school, however, it was herb and cranberry-crusted lamb and croustillant a l’effiloche de canard confit – and the Prince showed a distinctly competitive attitude to his lobster souffle.

The royal couple, wearing white chef’s overalls, were taking part in a cookery demonstration at the Institut De Tourisme et D’Hotellerie Du Quebec on Saturday. Although greeted with a noisy protest by Quebec separatists, the Prince did not let it distract from the main task in hand – proving he was a better cook than host, Quebec Premier Jean Charest.

Mr Charest produced the first souffle of the lesson, which was brought forward for display with a flourish by the Duchess.

Is there a time limit? Is it like Ready Steady Cook?

Prince William

Two minutes later the Prince brought his souffle up, removed the Premier’s and joked: “Much better. This one is mine.” It was, he said, “a souffle-off”. A fed-up Mr Charest, who has a reputation as an accomplished cook, took a sad look at his rejected souffle and said: “Now I guess I will have to pack it up and bring it home.”

For the Prince, the cookery demonstration was an opportunity for some light-hearted clowning, pretending to pinch the strawberries from a bowl and insisting on dipping a spoon into a vat of melted chocolate for a taste.

“Is there a time limit? Is it like Ready Steady Cook?” he quipped.

Kate, however, seemed to take the challenge much more seriously.

Student Theresa Rindress, 23, who showed her how to make an amuse-bouche of foie gras on a toasted brioche with apple cider jelly, said: “She was fantastic. She was very competent with the knife.” She added: “I asked if she liked to cook at home. She said she likes to cook but does not do fancy things.”

When William made an amuse-bouche of goats’ cheese, baby cucumber and elderberry jam, teacher Jean-Louis Themistocle said: “This is the best cucumber I have ever seen.”

Afterwards the Duke and Duchess and the Premier and his wife ate what they had prepared. There were not understood to have been any complaints.

Yesterday Kate appeared to be acting a little broody during a walkabout as she was presented with a bouquet by a two-year-old girl. When her proud father wished the Duchess well in her efforts to start her own family Kate thanked him saying “Yes, I hope to”. It is the first time Kate has spoken publicly about having children.

Later in the day the royal couple joined sailors in Quebec City on warship, HMCS Montreal, for a church service on the deck.

Afterwards Kate – in a lacy electric blue Jacquenta dress, by Erdem, the Canadian-born British designer – met Native American Konrad Sioui, Grand Chief of the Council of the Huron-Wendat nation, on the quayside. He said: “Kate wanted to find out about my hat and what it was made from – it’s wild turkey and eagle feathers.”